“Usiel and his Lokos bring vibrant family friendly events to the DFW with the goal of promoting unity and community”
The Lokos Keep It Local
ABOUT MY ONE MINUTE DOCUMENTARY
By Jose Ortiz
In this minute documentary, Usiel Cruz, president and founder of the Lokos Jeep Club, sits down at a local restaurant to discuss the club and its mission. Usiel details the origin of the club which was born amidst a pandemic and how at the time the club was mostly about off-roading and having fun.
It wasn’t long before the club’s focus shifted to helping the community in whatever ways they could. On their first Thanksgiving together, Usiel had the idea of driving down to a nearby McDonalds and buying breakfast sandwiches and coffee to give to the homeless. This moment was a defining moment for the Lokos and Usiel; the club would now focus on supporting communities all throughout the DFW. The Lokos fulfill their mission by showing up in droves to support local businesses and community events, sometimes in collaboration with other organizations and always with their highly customized Jeeps.
The Lokos are also known to host their own events such as their Halloween themed anniversary party that was hosted by a local pizzeria and taco shop this year. The Lokos lined up their Jeeps all around the restaurant, some touting scary good decorations. The Lokos themselves also showed up in style, wearing a wide variety of costumes that ranged from inflatable chicken suits to Beetlejuice cosplay. The Lokos make it a goal to keep their events family friendly to attract as many people as possible. As a result, the event was packed with Lokos, their families, and supporters of all ages. The anniversary party was also supported by a local DJ who kept the crowd pumped with his electrifying commentary and stellar playlist. Inside the local pizzeria and taco shop are more Lokos and supporters who showed up to grab a bite and have a good time while showing their support for the Lokos and what they stand for.
Usiel makes note of the club’s growth since starting up. It currently sits at 225 members all throughout the DFW, and he’s constantly receiving messages online about forming new chapters in different states. Usiel denies these offers because expansion isn’t part of his goal or mission. Usiel intends to keep the Lokos Jeep Club a staple of the DFW area.
This story was inspired by the Arlington Museum because it exudes culture much like the museum itself. Usiel and his Lokos bring vibrant family friendly events to the DFW with the goal of promoting unity and community, and a goal is to leave a lasting impression on the youth so that they may be inspired to give back someday.
Meet Jose Ortiz
I’m Jose Ortiz, a first-generation university student pursuing Journalism at UTA. I was born in Mexico but have lived in Texas since I was 2. I enjoy the outdoors and playing the drums. I’m a cinephile, and I love writing.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art is partnering with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and one-minute podcasts about themes as broad as creating detailed flower arrangements, a life saving cat cafe, everyday heroes, and environmental art.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith, who teaches the class, values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to reinforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
